Just days ahead of her appearance at the MICBD Conference in Ann Arbor, the Director of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs has authorized the release of new information regarding the process of applying to become a medical marijuana business under Michigan’s new MMFLA licensing system.

The Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act (MMFLA) is a program run by the Bureau of Medical Marihuana Regulation (BMMR), a subdivision of LARA, and will begin accepting applications on December 15. Applications are being taken for five named and regulated business types: cultivation, processing, transport, testing and distribution.

Today’s press release outlines a method where the people applying for the business (applicant) can be pre-approved even if the location they want to operate a business in is not yet approved by local authorities. From today’s press release:

“This two-step process will allow applicants to begin the application process by completing step one before a location for the medical marihuana facility is established. If applicants have a location secured, they will have the option of submitting step one and step two materials at the same time.”

Director of LARA, Shelly Edgerton, will speak Sunday October 15 at the Kensington Hotel on the MMFLA’s rollout, the multiple press releases issued by LARA and the BMMR recently, and the future of existing unregulated medical marijuana businesses in Michigan. The Director will do a Q&A session with attendees and will surely be asked to explain this memorandum. There is a charge to attend; more information on that event is available HERE.

The memo issued October 12 defines how the application process will take place. A two-step process is outlined by LARA:

Step 1 is Pre-qualification of the applicants including “a full background investigation of themselves and their affiliates.” This includes background information, their financial history, fingerprints and criminal